la ultima semana

So I have finished my time at Camino Seguro, and I am getting ready to head back to Texas on Monday. My time here has been wonderful, and I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to be here and work with these kids and this staff.

And of course, I gave you guys one more smattering of pics from the journey. I finally took a picture of the chicken bus I ride to and from the project each day, so you guys could have a sense of the sort of hot-rod school bus I call my own. Then I included a picture of my teacher Miriam and me because she has been the highlight of most of my days. Then there is the picture of some of my girls and me in the comedor (cafeteria) during lunch, and finally a picture of me and a boy I like to call Scooby (because of a Scooby Doo shirt he wears), who I happen to love very much.

This week was pretty much a breakthrough week for me in terms of relationships with my kids and my teacher. I now understand why Camino Seguro requires volunteers to stay at least 4 weeks. All week the kids were very happy to see me each day, shouting my name, and waving me over to their desks to help with homework, almost fighting over my attention. It was nice to feel so much a part of the classroom this week.

Then there were kids like my friend Scooby who kept asking when I was leaving. My last day he sat with me, curled up by my side, thanking me for my time there and for the pencil and candy I gave him. He promised that he would remember me when I leave and asked me if I would be traveling alone, which he seemed a little worried about (very sweet of him). He also asked me to send him a picture of us, which don´t worry, we took about 10 pictures together. I even got to meet his mom on Friday, which was a day for the families to come to the project.

The family day was pretty amazing, and it happens every month. It is mostly a celebration of what the kids have done. They gave awards for best athlete, best English student, etc. in each class. They gave presents to all the students who had birthdays in July, and they showcased the work of the older kids in the various vocational areas. Then the kids had options like playing games, doing art, getting manicures, getting haircuts, getting shampooed for lice (oh what fun), reading books, etc., and the moms had an opportunity to meet with the social workers. They also gave away food baskets to everyone who came and clothes to anyone who needed them. I divided my time between doing lice shampoos and giving manicures. It was actually really fun to do that with lots of little girls, and most of my little clients were very happy. It´s like playing beauty shop, but sometimes there are bugs involved. My teacher Miriam said my word of the day was "piojos" (which is Spanish for lice); it´s always good to pick up some new vocabulary!

And the highlight of my week, and perhaps my trip, was getting to go home with Miriam on Thursday after school and stay at her house and meet her family. It was so great to get a sense of what life is really like in the city. We did really normal things like ride a city bus in lots of traffic, go to the grocery store and the bakery and her neighborhood tienda (think convenience store Guatemalan-style). We made black bean tostadas for dinner and had pan dulce for dessert and talked until our brains hurt from practicing Spanish and English for hours. She showed me pictures, and I got to meet her father and niece and nephew. It was wonderful.

Well, I´m late for one last Spanish class...so I´ve got to end this. I´m heading back to the states on Monday and will probably try to blog one last time about this journey. Thanks for being involved in this part of my life. I love you all.